Adjustable crank.



M. C. TURNER. ADJUSTABLECRANK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25. 1914. 1,215,747

Patel ted Feb. 13,1917.

W/TfI/ESS'EZSE v lxvvewr ol? I 8/546 Erna,

are/Ms)? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAIILOIN' G. TURNER, OF POUGI-IKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO THE DE LAVAL SEPARATOR COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NE? JERSEY.

ADJUSTABLE CRANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented F eb. 13, 19176 Application filed February 25, 1914. Serial No. 820,860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAHLON C. TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ponghkeepsie, county of Dutchess, and State S? of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Cranks, of

which'the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

9 In many machines operated by manual POWBIfOf wliiich cream separators are one class, there is a large inertiamaking the start hard and yet after reaching full speed these machines run with little power.

If along crank is used on such a machine theefl'ortneeded to start it is much lessthan with a short one, but after reaching full speed the exertion of moving the body to swing the large circle is more tiring than the work needed to drive the nutchine. The existence of these two opposed conditions hasresulted in the use of a compromise length of crank that is too short for. easy 'startingand yet is too long for easy operati'on after full speed has been attained.

The object of this invention is to provide a'crank that may be adjusted to fit either .of the above mentioned conditions. A see- 0nd olojcct to provide a crank that may be changed from the length for one condition to the-length for the other condition without stopping the machine. A third ohject is to provide automatic means for lock-- ing it at either position while it is being used. matic means to release the lock when the application of power to the crank-ceases.

In the neferrcd embodiment of my invention I l'l'lttlflt'HSt! of a crank hub, looseon thedrivcn shaft and having a hole through which a crank arm is adapted to slide. 011 the end of the shaft is a boss adapted to on tor either one or the other of two sockets in the cranlmlrm,one of which is at each of the desired:rcnters of rotation of the arm. Pro- 'jectingfrom the cod of the above mentioned bossisa smaller boss :ulaptcd to enter a slot in. the (-rankarm, said slot being of such a length thatwh'cn the said small boss is at one orthc other end of the slot the first mentioned boss is in line with one or the other of; the twosockcts at the centers of rotation. ()nthe crankhub and on the shaft, 0 a col- A fourth object is to provide autolar attached thereto, are ratchcttectl'l adapted to engage if the crank loves forward,

relative to the shaft, or release if it moves backward, and adapted in the release action to move the crank hub and arm longitndi nally, relative to theshaft so as to cause the larger boss on the shaft end to he disengaged I from the socket in the crank arm. 1

Referring to the drawingu:

Figure 1 isa side View of a crank embodymg my invention. r i i i ig. 2 is a View, partly in s lotion showing the crank engaged for a long; stroke.

Fig. 3 is a similar View sho wing the crank in the process of changing fr 3m one adj 11stmentto the other... .1

Fig. 4 is a View of one side of a portion of the crank arm. v Fig. 5 'is a View similar to Fig. 2 an alternative construction.

a is a crank shaft having the bosses b and c on the end. (l is a ratchet collar secured to. the crank shaft.

showing arm f, which is shown of root: mgular section but may be made of any desired shape. In

the crank arm is a slot 9 adapted to slide. ,There are als twii sockets h.

on the boss 0. and i in the crank arm adapted,- When the boss 0 is at the end of the slct g, to fit over the boss 6 on the crank shaft In the hub 6 1s a screw the end of which enters a groove It: turned near the end of the crank shaft on and prevents the hub coming off the shaft.

The operation of the device is as follows: The crank when released naturally hangs d'owmvard and when diseng: god. will drop into the position for a long st :oke. A' slight forward movement of the crank handle accompanied by an inward pressure will cause the crank and hub to move inward. The Socket It will move onto the JOSS b and the I ratchet teeth will engage and :ause the shaft to he turned. As long aspower is applied the parts will remain engagei in this man.- ner. taincd the operator ceases to apply power and stops with-the c ank inihe highest position. Because of the ratchi 1t teeth on the collar (1 and the crank hub c theforward movement of the shaft a forces the halo e and with it the crank arm outward and the socket la. is disengagml fI'NIl the boss b. The weight ofthe crank will now cause it to drop till the end of the slot otrikes the boss 0 at which point the socket iiis n linewith the e is a crank hub bored to fit the shaft or and slotted for the crank After the desired speed has been at-.

, function as boss 0; that is,

same as that hereinbefore described boss 6. A forward movement of the crank accompanied byan inward pressure will cause the socket i to engage the boss b and lhe ratchet teeth on the crank hub e to engage those on the collar (l and the crank may be used at short stroke as lon as desired. When through with the machine the operator simply releases his hold on the crank and it will stop at the lowest position. The forward movement of the shaft and collar will force the hub outward releasing the arm from the boss 5 and allowing it to drop to the position for a long stroke ready for the next start.

The construction shown in Fig. 5 is the (and corresponding parts are similarly lettered) except that for the boss 0 on the extremity of the shaft a is substituted a screw or boss 0 projecting inward from the end wall of the hub e. The boss 0 performs. the same it affords a guide arm 7 and limits of the crank arm for the slot- 9 in the crank the longitudinal movement in both directions.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable crank construction comprising a crank shaft, a crank arm, means for connecting the crank arm and shaft and permitting the crank arm to turn freely in one direction independently of the shaft and to move in the direction of its length relatively to the shaft to vary the distance between the shaft and the free end of the crank arm, and locking connections between the shaft and crank arm adapted to mainfig tain the crank arm in fixed relation to the shaft ineither of its longitudinal positions in the turning movement of the crank arm in the opposite direction.

An adjustable crank construction comprising a driven crank shaft, a driving crank arm, means for connecting the crank arm and shaft and permitting the crank v: -m to freely revolve-in one'dire'ction inde- 1 *ndently of the shaft arid to 'sligle in'the dinection of its length relatively to the shaft to provide-a relatively long or short effective length of crank arm, and means to maintain the crank arm when in either longitudinal position in fixed relation to the 'haft in the turning movement of the crank 111m in the opposite direction.

An adjustable crank construction com prising a crank shaft, a crank arm, means permitting the crank arm to move in the direction of its length relatively to the shaft to vary the distance between the axis of the shaft and the free end ofthe crank arm, and a plurality oflocking connections between the crank arm and shaft corresponding to the severallongitudinally adjustable positions of the crank arm and each adaptwith the shaft to be ed to be rendered inoperative when the crank arm is withheld from rotation with the shaft.

4. An adjustable crank construction comprising a crank shaft, a crank arm, means permitting the crank arm to move axially along the shaft and also slide in the direction of its own length relatively to the shaft when in one of its axial positions, and looking means to maintain the crank arm when in either longitudinal position in fixed relation to the shaft when in the other of its axial positions.

5. An adjustable crank construction comprising a crank shaft, a crank arm, and connections between the crank arm and shaft including, first, guiding members permitting movement of the crank arm both in the direction of its length and in the direction of the axis of the shaft and, second, locking means maintaining the crank arm when in either longitudinal position in fixed relation to the shaft when turned in one direction but adapted to yield to allow axial displacement of the crank.alm when turned in the other direction 6. An adjustable crank connection comprising,a crank shaft; a crank arm mov able along the axis of the shaft; and means between the crank arm and crank shaft including, first, a guiding member along which the crank arm is slidable in the direction of its length, second, a ratchet connection enabling the shaft when turned in one direction to drive the shaft and when held from turning with the shaft to be displaced thereby axially, connections adapted to maintain the crank arm in fixed relation to the shaft, in either of its longitudinal positions, in the turning movement of the crank. arm in the opposite direction.

7. An adj ustablc crank construction com prising a crank shaft, a hub movable axially along the shaft, a ratchet clutch connectionbetween the hub and shaft, thereby enabling the hub when turned in one direction to drive the shaft and when held from turning displaced thereby a crank arm carried by the hub and slidable thereon in the direction of its own length, when the hub is so displaced, to extend or contract its effective length, and locking means to maintain the crank .arm, when moved to bring the hub into clutching engagement with the shaft, in its extended or contracted relation.

8. A machinery shaft, a hub turnable and slidable on the shaft, a ratchet connection between hub and shaft whereby the hub when rotated in one direction will rotate the shaft and when rotated relatively in the other direction will slide thereon out of driving relation, means axially,

and third, locking drive comprising a crank,

limiting the last named sliding movement hereunto set my hand, at Poughkepsie, on this 21 day of February, 1914.

M2 LHLON C. TURNER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES, L. POWELL, SELDEN H. HALL. 

